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Against the Valentinians

Tertullian

Chapter 37

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Chapter XXXVII.—Other Turgid and Ridiculous Theories About the Origin of the Æons and Creation, Stated and Condemned.

Now listen to some other buffooneries of a master who is

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a

great

swell

among

them

,

and

who

has

pronounced

his

dicta

with

an

even

priestly

authority

.

They

run

thus

:

There

comes

,

says

he

,

before

all

things

Pro

-

arche

,

the

inconceivable

,

and

indescribable

,

and

nameless

,

which

I

for

my

own

part

call

Monotes

(

Solitude

)

.

With

this

was

associated

another

power

,

to

which

also

I

give

the

name

of

Henotes

(

Unity

)

.

Now

,

inasmuch

as

Monotes

and

Henotes

—

that

is

to

say

,

Solitude

and

Union

—

were

only

one

being

,

they

produced

,

and

yet

not

in

the

way

of

production

,

the

intellectual

,

innascible

,

invisible

beginning

of

all

things

,

which

human

language

has

called

Monad

(

Solitude

)

.

This

has

inherent

in

itself

a

consubstantial

force

,

which

it

calls

Unity

These

powers

,

accordingly

,

Solitude

or

Solitariness

,

and

Unity

,

or

Union

,

propagated

all

the

other

emanations

of

Æons

.

Wonderful

distinction

,

to

be

sure

!

Whatever

change

Union

and

Unity

may

undergo

,

Solitariness

and

Solitude

is

profoundly

supreme

.

Whatever

designation

you

give

the

power

,

it

is

one

and

the

same

.

Notes

1
Oehler gives good reasons for the reading “ingenia circulatoria,” instead of the various readings of other editors.
2
Insignioris apud eos magistri.
3
Non proferentes. Another reading is “non proserentes” (not generating).
4
Sermo.
5
Or, solitariness.
6
Or, Union.
7
Compare our Irenæus, I. 2, 3. [Vol. I. p. 316.]